The family of an inmate of the Criminal Justice Center is suing the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. Credit: Nashville.gov
The family of an inmate who died shortly after being taken into custody by police is suing the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office for negligence.
Last November, on a Tuesday around 11:00 p.m., police arrested Michael Jones for public intoxication and resisting arrest near the homeless shelter Nashville Rescue Mission. During the arrest, according to the lawsuit, police used pepper spray on Jones. Authorities then took him to jail at the Criminal Justice Center, which is operated by the sheriff’s office.
After more than an hour of waiting in an intake area, officials cuffed Jones and placed him in a solitary confinement cell, according to the suit.
Jail officials told Jones to kneel down so that leg restraints could be put on him, but he resisted. After failing to comply, jail officials sprayed Jones in the face with pepper spray, the suit says, which made him drop to his knees. The ankle restraints were then applied.
A sheriff’s office employee then put a “spit hood” over Jones’ head to stop him from spitting and drooling on the cell floor.
Around 1:20 a.m., according to the suit, jail staff noticed that Jones was “not moving and was otherwise unresponsive.”
Jail employee Joel Huff, who noticed Jones’ unresponsiveness, didn’t immediately have a key to the cell, so he went to retrieve it while also calling other staff to the cell.
Efforts to resuscitate Jones were unsuccessful. The suit says that Jones was pronounced dead at 2:09 a.m. at Nashville General Hospital. He died due to asphyxiation. The suit says he choked on his own vomit.
The lawsuit alleges that Jones’ death was due to a failure to supervise and an act of negligence.
Attorney Bryan Moseley, who is representing the Jones family, said the suit is seeking the statutory maximum, which is $300,000.
Through a spokeswoman, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office would not comment, citing pending litigation.
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